F Chord, Made Easy: 7 Alternatives to the Barred Version
Lesson #392 • Oct 2, 2021
Video lesson
Instructional PDF 3 pages
Editor’s notes
Hey friends! In this video I show you 7 “other” ways to play the F chord, none of which require barring all 6 of the strings (which is what the “normal” F voicing calls for). Even though I can play the difficult barred version, in honesty I rarely use it: there are simple many other voicings that get the job done for way less effort. I also want to demystify this chord for those of you who are new to guitar: don’t let the F chord scare you away from learning songs! There are easier ways to play the chord which will absolutely get the job done.
In this video I’ll go through 8 total versions of F, all based on the first 3 frets. For each I’ll explain when to use it, show a picture of hand position, guitar tabs with fingers required, and a fretboard map. My hope is this lesson (and the PDF cheat sheet that accompanies it) will forevermore make F an easier chord to play.
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Overview & Lesson Summary
- 1:41 Full Six-String Barred Version
- 3:29 Little Baby F (3 strings)
- 5:35 Middle-4-Strings F
- 8:18 Thinnest-4-Strings F
- 11:14 Thickest-4-Strings F
- 13:13 Fadd9
- 14:27 Fmaj7
- 15:36 Wrapped Thumb F
- 17:15 Final Advice & Tips
Related Lessons
Barre Chord Strength Training (Lesson #99)
Wrapped-Thumb F Deep Dive (Lesson #244)
View my lesson notes & get the PDF »
Key of C Cheat Sheet (Lesson #388)
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